Plano has, for a long time, been the commercial hub of Collin County. That distinction was previously held by McKinney, but Plano shot past McKinney during the 1970s. Plano has a bigger contribution to Collin County’s economy because when it developed, it pulled up surrounding areas along with it, including Allen, Lucas, McKinney, Fairview, Parker, Murphy, and Frisco.

To the west of the city, you can see large residential and commercial development projects and establishments. For instance, you can find here the Shops at Legacy, as well as the Austin Ranch. To the east, you will still see some ranches and farms. There is also a beautiful nature preserve, which attracts a lot of residents and visitors.

In terms of real estate costs, the west side of the city is more expensive compared to the east. If you want larger lots and bigger homes, even on a modest budget, then you definitely head east.

The terrain of Plano is not completely flat so you have some ridges and hills. These are filled with residential developments that offer a good view of the city, especially at dusk. Those neighborhoods tend to come with a higher price tag.

The two major airports like the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Texas Love Field Airport are very accessible, so if you frequently travel for pleasure or business, that’s definitely an advantage.

Plano is a great place to raise your kids. There are plenty of good schools and lots of outdoor activities.  There are also some self-development courses, that may help your children to grow up to be more emotionally and socially healthy.

The schools here are more demanding, which means that they expect better performance and have higher standards for their students. That gives your kids an advantage because when they go off to college, they should find it easier because they already developed good study habits in elementary, middle school, and high school.

Those who come from the big city sometimes transfer here because of that small town feel.

You will also see lots of residents who actually work in the Dallas area, which is some 20 miles away. But the light rail system makes it very convenient to travel between the two areas. Meanwhile, the city is also being served by buses through the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

What to Do in Plano

Plano has over 250,000 people, in it but it still has a very nice slow small town feel to it.

There’s plenty to do in here.

Plano offers a number of things to do from mouth-watering Texan smokehouses and BBQ joints to fascinating heritage museums that give people insights about the history of the railroad and agriculture in the area.

There are also plenty of scenic parks, plenty of mouthwatering restaurants with an eclectic variety of food, some great entertainment venues, walking trails and great shopping.

You want color in your life? Then go to the Crayola Experience, which can be found at The Shops at Willow Bend. The whole attraction spans 60,000 feet of pure color and it was included in the list of “Top 10 Trips to Take before Your Kid Turns 10” by Parents Magazine.

Speaking of The Shops at Willow Bend, the commercial complex has over 100 shops and four anchor stores which are Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, and Dillard’s. People come here not just to shop or eat, but just to relax and hangout. Apart from the parks, this has become the favorite place of residents to catch up on friends, take a break from the heat, and just to kill time.

There’s another attraction in town and that’s the Legacy West, which features more than 400,000 square feet of space for retail outlets, offices, hotels, and restaurants. You can find everything here, particularly at The Shops at Legacy, which has 33 stores.

If you want to beat the summer heat in Texas, you can take a dip at The Texas Pool located along Springbrook Drive. The pool is shaped like the map of Texas and typically holds 160,000 gallons of water. It’s also listed in the National Register of Historic Places so you are actually swimming deep in history.

Go Ape is located at the Oak Point Park and it has a tree-themed obstacle course and a zip line, which is a good way to bond with your kids. Companies also bring their employees here for team-building. The park itself has more than eight miles of paved and soft trails to explore.

Plano Real Estate

City planners and government officials here do good job of keeping the city up to date, safe and looking sharp. Credit goes to the city officials who make sure the city remains clean, the police force is amply supported, and the area has a very good educational system. Those are investments that come back ten-fold.

Plano has no income tax, which will benefit wage earners of many different income levels.

Those who live in and around Plano Texas do get hit with a property tax, just like most people. What can be said about Plano, however, is that it has one of the lowest property taxes in the state.

Nevertheless, you can buy a good home here for $300,000, which should give you plenty of yard space and foot space. An average home features 3-4 bedrooms, especially on the east side, and 2-3 baths. The average cost of houses in Plano is somewhere around $260,000.

The city feels very suburban. Some people love it. But many of those who have rented here have decided to move in for good after living in Plano for a few years. The majority of the residents here, in fact, own their home.

What does that signify?

It means that they find the city to be a good place to raise their kids and grow old in. They also see the potential to grow in terms of their career as the city also continues to grow and progress.